Extracting oil from oil-wells and oil-bearing rock and tube therefor



(No Mmm W. RICHARDS. BXTRAGTING OIL P30-M OIL WELLS AND-OIL BEARING 300K AND TUBE THERBFOR.

'Patented Nov. 25.

MW Q5 lharrnnv SrArns @Aralar @arriere wrLLrAM nionAnns, or BALLTowN, PENNSYLVANIA.

ous/ienne ou FROM oit-wuts AND @u rAmNc Roer AND niet THEREFOR.

C'ECFECATION forming part o' Letters Patent No. 308,522, dated November 25, 1884.

Application filed May 3,18844 (No model.)

T @ZZ whom, it may concern: and to secure the complete extraction from the Be it known that I, NVILLiAM RICHARDS, a oil-bearing rock of all the oil therein, andincitizen of the United States of America, recrease the production of wells without resort- 'ng to the employment of torpedoes, nitrosiding at Balltown, in the cou nty of Forest and glycerine, or other explosives, or in any man- State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tubes for nerbreakingup the rock or earth within which Oil-Vells and Methods of Extracting Oil from l the oil is contained, and this l accomplish by Oil-Bearing Rock, che., ot' which the following supplying` Athe excavation with air, gas, or is a speciiication, reference being had therein fluids in such a state ot' compression that the to the accompanying drawing. oil contained inthe rock shall be forced there- This invention consists in certain improve from to and upward within the wells from ments in the construction ot' tubes for oilwhich it is to be drawn, thereby supplying the wells, and in the method of extracting oil from excavation with an efficient substitute for the oil-bearingrock or earth and increasing the gas that has already escaped therefrom, and productivity oi' oil-wells, as hereinafter del by which the upward tlow ot' the'oil was sescribed and claimed.

l eured,insuring the more vperiect extraction of rEhe drawing represents a sectional elevathe oil within the rock than can possibly be action of a well with my improved apparatus in i complished by the customary method of shootposition therein. l ing` the well and depending upon the action ln the oil region each lease or holding has l of the previously coniined gas, on its liberathereon several wells, through which the oil tion, to project the'oil upward. from -the rock or earth in which such wells In order to accomplish the results above are bored or drilled is extracted. The rock l mentioned, l anchor within one of the wells ot' within which the oil is contained is honey-y the seriesin thelease-that well which is nearcombed, and the usual practice is to pass torest the center being the usual one used for the pedoes or nitro-glycerine cartridges down the purpose-a tube, A,which is packed by arubwells to and explode the same against the oill ber or other suitable packer., B, and by sand, bearing rock, and thus shatter the same and iron shaviugs, or other material, C, packed release the oil and gas therein, which done l within the space between the outer face of the the gas forces the oil up the well, from which tube and the sides of the well. it flows to the usual tanks. This method is D represents a force-pump of ordinary-conattended with great danger to the operatives, struction, which is suitably supported in poand also injury to the plant and to the oil, by sition at any desired point, and has commureason of premature explosions,which in pracnication with the top of the tube A. By means tice are common, as when such explosions oeeur it frequently happens that the casing and V some suitable fluid at a pressure of one thonthe plant are destroyed, and the oil in the sand pounds per square inch is forced down well is spoiled by the admixture therewith of the tube A, from the lower end of which it the debris of the casing and well appliances. l passes to the oil-bearing rock. By thus sup- So long as there is sutiicient gas within the plying the air, gas, or iluid to the excavation well to force the oil upward the flow thereof l in such a highly-compressed state the whole will be free; but as the gas within the well is of the oilwithin the crevices and fissures of the oil-bearing rock will be expelled therefrom constantly escaping the tlow of oil will correspondingly decrease,necessitating the further without in any manner injuring the formation thereof, and the oil as it is thus forced out of shooting of the well or shattering ofthe rock, with the attendant dangers, and the employthe rock surrounding the well within which the tube A is anchored will, by the continued ment oi' suction devices, which are slow and tedious in their operation and do not result application to the rear thereof of the highlycompressed iiuid or gas, be forced outward to in the extraction of nearly all the oil contained within the well and oil-bearing rock. the wells surrounding that in which the tube is My improvements are designed to avoid all anchored. the difficulties and cangers above mentioned, is extracted from the rock without the danger of this force-pump D compressed air, gas, or`

IOC

By this means the whole of the oil Y packer and the tube and hold the I am aware that oil`wells have been provided with two tubes, one connecting with theoil in the well, and that air has been forced down the other tube, so as to raise the oil up the tube connecting with the oil in such well; plosives are employed, and more thoroughly l but in such arrangementno provision is made than is possibleby the present systems, as by for securing the perfect extraction of the oil forcing the highly-compressed air, 81e., down from the rock surrounding the well and all one tube or well the oil is entirely extracted g the wells of a lease or holding. from the rock, the value of each lease or h'oldl I am not aware that it has ever, before my ing is enhanced, the iiow of the oil through invention, beencontemplated to stop up the the wells in the lease surrounding that down central well of the series in a lease or holding which the compressed air, Ste., is forced, is and place a single tube therein and force the freer, and the production of wells is largely oil at the bottom of such closed well and that increased. in the rock in theI saine outward and away Above thecoupliug E, securing the sections I therefrom to and up the other wells in the of the tube, with its lower edge resting against lease sim nltaneously. and supported thereon, is a band or ring, F, By my improvement the great loss of oil which is secured to said tube A by welding, that results from the heretofore-practiced rivets, or in `any other approved manner. To methods is avoided. As heretofore, when the this band or ring F, and on opposite sides force of the natural gas has become spent,a thereof, are connected by hinges or pivots the considerable quantity of oil remains within lower edges of valves G. rlhese valves are the roch surrounding the same, which is eneach of a' length somewhat in excess o'f the tirely lost, there being no practicable method width of the space between the sides of the in use at present for extracting the samea'nd tube and the sides of the well, said valves bringing it to the surface. Consequently the While at rest extendingoutward from the tube oil contained in a lease or holding is now .never atan angle thereto,asshownin the drawing. As entirely removed. the tube A is inserted within the well, said Having thus descri to the operatives, injury to the plant, and to the oil-bearing rock or earth, and risk of spoiling thexoil, which are common when explosives are employed. The oil is extracted more cheaply and safely than is the case where exl bed my invention, what valves will readily slide along the sides of the I claim iswell, as their tendency will at such time be to l. The herein described improvement in closeinward. XVhen the compressed air, &c., is the art of extracting oil from oil-bearing rock forced down the tube A and passes out at the and earth and forcing the same to and up a series of wells simultaneously by means of a single forcing apparatus, consisting, first, in anchoring a tube within the central well of a series or lease and packing the space between the lower end of said tube and the sides of the vwell, then connecting the upper portion of said tube with a force-pu ing air, gas, or fiuids in a highlyeompressed state down said tube, continuing such highpressure supply until the oil in the bottom of the well and rock surrounding the same is forced outward to and up the wells surrounding that in which the tube is, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The apparatus herein described for supying compressed air, gas, or fluids to oillower end thereof, a portion thereof will impinge against the lower part ofthe packer B, and would, were said valves absent, force said A to which it is connected upward outof the well; but immediatelyvupon the compressed air, on its release from the tube, coming in contact with the packer and exerting an upward pressure thereon, said valves will engage with the sides of the well and rigidly hold the tube in position and prevent its upward movement, and thus afford a firm anchorage therefor.

Vhenevcr it is found necessary to withdraw. the tube fronrthe well the supply of compressed air, &c., thereto is cut off, and the valves can be readily released from engagei pl ment with the sides of the well by passing a Il bearing rock or earth,

hooked rod down between the tube and the provided with an ordinary packer, and auwell, whereupon said tube can be drawn up. chored in position within a well, and an uprlwo or any larger number of such valves may wardly-moving valve or valves hinged to said be hinged to the band or ring F, as found detube, for the purpose of holding the saine in sirable; but two secured in position on oppoposition within the well against the upward site sides have been found sufficient to withpressure of compressed air, substantially as stand the pressure of the compressed air, &e., and for the purpose set forth. Y

tube securely in position within 3. The tube f'or oil-wells'herein described, consisting of atube, A, having a ring or band, F, rigidly secured thereto, and a valve or valves hinged to said ring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix in presence of' two witnesses.

\Vitnesscs: WILLIAM RICHARDS.

OHAs J. Goocrr,

a well.

By the method and means above described the oil can be got out more rapidly, cheaply, and entirely than by the method and means heretofore employed, a continuous and uniform pressure is maintained on theoil-bearing rock, thus insuring a regular supply of oil, and partiesy can clean up very easily and quickly.

my signature mp, and finally forc- IIO consisting of a tube 

